Chopsticks are widely used in certain cultures, one of the largest uses being in China. With the growing popularity of Chinese food in North American society, the use of chopsticks in eating Chinese food has become somewhat of a general practice. However, the proper use of chopsticks requires both dexterity and a certain degree of practice. For those who only use chopsticks on certain occasions, it becomes difficult to properly utilize the utensils.
Chopsticks are used as utensils for food which is served in small pieces and can therefore easily be handled thereby. They are generally slim tapered sticks having a length in the area of 25 cm and are usually made of wood or bamboo although other materials have also been used. In use, one of the chopsticks remains stationary, it being held at the base of the thumb and braced against the top of the fourth finger. The other chopstick, which is the moveable one, is held by the thumb and the index and middle fingers in a manner similar to that of a writing instrument such as a pen or pencil. The food is normally engaged between the two sticks. For most applications, it is important that the sticks move in the same plane--that they don't tend to cross each other but rather are pressed opposite each other on the food piece.
There have been proposals in the prior art for various aids for users of chopsticks. However, the prior art proposals can still require considerable dexterity by the user as they do not ensure that the chopsticks, when held together, move in the same plane.